A richly-deserved 4-0 triumph over Italy saw Vincente Del Bosque’s master craftsmen become the first country to win three major tournaments in a row and assume the mantle as the greatest international team of all time.

The Spaniards’ trademark possession game, which had been exclusively lauded in their Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup victories, had been derided as boring by some observers and fans this summer.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger added an unlikely voice to that chorus of criticism yesterday when he said: ‘They have betrayed their philosophy and turned it into something more negative. Originally they wanted possession in order to attack and win the game; now it seems to be a way not to lose.’

However, Spain answered their detractors in the perfect style with superbly worked goals from David Silva, Jordi Alba, Fernando Torres and Juan Mata to romp to victory.

The scoreline was slightly harsh on Italy, who had contributed to the enterprising fare – a fitting end to an entertaining tournament.